My Mom’s 3-Ingredient Side Dish Is Always on Our Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving is like my Super Bowl. When I completed culinary school in 2008, I took over the task of Thanksgiving menu planning from my mom. It’s a job she was happy to give up. After raising four kids while working full time, she’d cooked enough in her day. But even though her days as the Thanksgiving chef are over, she insists on contributing in some way.

Every year, that contribution is her famous (or perhaps infamous) butternut squash, which has become a bit of a running family joke. I am one of four girls, and my sisters and I have been known to poke fun at this dish. While it may not paint us in the best light (I promise we are kind), we’ve always referred to this squash as baby food.

Her version is dead simple—just steamed butternut squash mashed with a little butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Presented in an old-school casserole dish, our intricately assembled gratins have nothing on this unassuming side.

When all is said and eaten, she gets the last laugh. She cheekily pointed out at a recent Thanksgiving that despite its humbleness, her butternut squash is the only dish that consistently disappears, year after year. Turns out, sometimes simple really is best.

Optional Upgrades

This year, I set out to develop a slightly upgraded version of my Mom’s iconic mashed butternut squash, but with her calculated restraint in mind. My version is a bit fancier than my mom’s (because of who I am as a person) but remains incredibly simple.

In addition to roasting the squash for more flavor, I like to add brown butter. If you have time, I highly recommend it for the added toastiness.

I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper to balance out the inherent sweetness of the squash but feel free to skip it if you want this side dish to skew sweet. In terms of sweetener, brown sugar is classic, but you can swap in 1/4 cup of maple syrup instead if you want to amp up the fall flavors.

I can’t say my version will replace hers on the holiday table anytime soon, but I’ll have fun forcing my kids to enjoy this elevated baby food all season long!